Ok.  I've learned my lesson.  No more promises. Cause every time I do, something happens that makes it so I can't keep it.  From now on…I'll update when I get it done.

ALSO:  I NEED SOMEONE TO EDIT FOR ME.  I SUCK AT IT AND HAVE NO TIME FOR IT.  ANY VOLUNTEERS CAN LEAVE THEIR EMAIL ON THE REVIEW AND I'LL GET BACK TO THEM.  THANKS A LOT.

Uncontrollable

By: Karigan Marie

Chapter: Confided

*****

            It had been nearly 3 days since the arrival of the Empress of Carthak and her two young children.  Daine could tell that the winter would be an active one.  Banquets and parties had been on-going, and to her dismay, royal hunting parties that many of the ambassador's from Carthak attended had yielded many wild deer, and for the first time in many years, Daine noticed that King Jonathan looked much more relaxed and much less weighed down.  It seemed as though the winter would be a nice one, where two kingdoms, once separated by hatred and war, had come together and united.

            One thing Daine had not liked about all the parties and gatherings was the constant need for her to be in uniform.  She reserved her nicest for only special occasions where royals would be in attendance, but there had already been two of those 'events' and Daine was beginning to think she would spend the entire winter in uniform.

            Jade had been, not surprisingly, hard to locate on several occasions when Daine wanted to introduce her to some of the Cartheki Wild Mages.  So Daine had Jade accompany her today to various gatherings, a task Jade had adamantly protested.

After nearly 5 hours of wandering around with her mother to endless parties and meetings, Jade was beginning to get grumpy.  They walked down towards the courts, Jade's arms crossed and a small frown marring her little tanned face.  "Come on, now, Jade.  This isn't as horrible as you're making it out to be.  If you tried, I think you might actually enjoy yourself.  Some of these Mages are very interested in meeting you.  They may have some ideas about your magic.  Don't you want to hear what they have to say?"

"Not really," Jade mumbled.

"Why not?"  Daine ran a hand through the girl's wild curls as they continued around a corner.

"I don't like people starring at me, Mama."

"They don't starring…"

"Yes they do!  They stare at me.  If they thought they could, they'd probably poke at me, too," she grumped.

"Don't be so dramatic, Jade.  Curiosity runs rampant among Mages, you know that.  Just look at your father."

"Papa doesn't stare at me like they do.  They stare at me like I have two heads!"

Daine sighed and stooped down to Jade's eye level.  "Jade, I know it's a bit strange.  But they aren't trying to be cruel or mean or rude.  They just want to meet you.  They want to know more about you.  You're very special.  Inside of you is something very powerful and very different; something very beautiful.  They just want to know what it is.  Maybe you'll learn something from them…"

They looked up as a figure stepped out of a doorway.  Jade looked up and gasped as she saw ravel hair pinned up in extravagant curls and braids.  Red lips against Ivory skin and crystal blue eyes looked down at her with a smile.  The sky blue dress that barely covered the woman's shoulders was heavily embroidered with silver threads.  And at the side of the extraordinarily pretty woman was a small girl, younger than herself.  Daine stood up and bowed.  "You're Majesty, You're Highness."

After a moment, Jade's eyes widened in realization and she curtsied to the woman and girl.

Kalasin smiled brighter.  "This must be your Jade."

Daine smiled.  "Yes, Majesty.  May I present to you my daughter, Jade Salmalin."

Kalasin's eyes jerked from the little jade eyed girl up to Daine.  "Daine cut that out.  You don't have to be so unbearably formal with me, you know that!"

Daine grinned.  "Jade, this is the Empress of Carthak." She looked down at her daughter with a smile.  "Kalasin"

Jade gave a shy smile, "Pleased to meet you, Majesty."  Then she moved her eyes to the young girl gripping her mother's hand tightly.  She had raven hair and blue eyes like her mother, but her skin was that of Carthak, tanned to a brown hew.

Kalasin shook her own daughter out of her silent observance and said, "Miliani, this is a deer friend of mine, Daine.  And this…" she gestured to Jade, "is her daughter, Jade."  The little princess folded herself shyly into the folds of her mother's empire waist skirt.  Kalasin laughed and bent down slightly.  "Precious, Jade's father is from Carthak, just like you."  The young princess looked up in surprise at her mother.  "But…she's never been to Carthak."  Miliani's eyes jumped to Jade at those words.  "Perhaps she would like to hear about all the wonders of our Kingdom.  Would you like that Jade?"  At that, the Empress' eyes moved to Jade.

"Carthak?"  Jade's eyes grew in wonder.  "Oh, yes.  I'd love to hear about Carthak."

Miliani pulled away from her mother and stepped forward, grabbed onto Jade's hand and lead her down the hallway towards the gardens, two smiling mother's behind.

They walked through the halls in silence for a moment, listening to Miliani ramble on endlessly about the many curious creatures in Carthak.  Daine observed Kalasin from the side of her eyes, noting her old friend's nervousness.  Finally, Kalasin broke.  In a whisper almost too soft for Daine to understand, she said, "I suppose you're wondering why I wanted to talk to you in private."

Daine looked over with worried eyes.  "Kalasin, you know you can confide in me."

"I know." She looked down at her hands as they ran over the silver thread in her dress in nervousness.  "I just…I wanted someone I've known for a long time to talk to.  Someone…I trust."

"What's wrong, Kali?" Daine was beginning to get scared.  They stepped into the gardens and stood near the entrance as the two girls sat on a bench to chatter.

"It's just…" Kali took a breath and kept walking forward looking as if she has been waiting for this for months.  Daine stood, waiting for her to confide.  "Four months ago, there was an attempt on Kaddar's life."

The color drained from Daine's face.  "What?"

"A guard, through the glass."

Daine swallowed down a lump.  "Poison."

"He was coerced apparently; a minor fact that spared his life from the gallows; though he'll spend the rest of it in the dungeons."

Daine felt a chill run down her spine.  Her voice was breathless as she wondered, "Why?"

"He was part of the rebel army."

"Well, I'm glad he was discovered."
            "Daine, I…I should have known.  I've been worried for almost two years about the situation.  Kaddar, he…he thinks the guard wasn't alone."

Daine's eyes scooted along the ground in confusion.  "Not alone.  There's more? You've told your father, right?"

"No!" It was whispered forcefully.  Daine, my father would have a kitten if I told him.  Though he isn't thick headed, I'm sure he suspects something is wrong."  She looked towards the two girls playing a hand game.  "No King…or Emperor… would send his Queen, the heir and his second child out of the country at the same time without good reason;" she faced Daine pointedly, "and a diplomatic mission is not one of those reasons; especially with a friendly sister kingdom."

"So, you think what…that someone is out to get you?  The rebel army?"

"Yes and no." Kalasin sighed.  "I think, and Kaddar agrees, it's more a matter of who we are as apposed to a personal vendetta."

"Who you are?"

"We're the monarchy, Daine.  That's what the rebels want.  They want to be in charge.  And that cursed leader of theirs…Onam…he wants to be their Warlord."

Daine blinked in utter disbelief.  "Revolution."

Kalasin let out the smallest of laughs.  "At worst.  At best, civil war."

Daine swallowed with unease.  "Gods' forbid."

"Kaddar wanted me and the children out of Carthak for a few months, until he can weed out the problems within the guard, at least."

"But, you came with guards, Kalasin.  What about them?"

"They're his most trusted; though that doesn't give complete comfort.  The guard that tried to poison him was one of the Emperor's legionnaires."

"How far does the corruption go?"

Kalasin forced tears from her eyes with a deep breath.  "I don't know."

*****

"Jade, move it!"

"I'm coming, Atune!"  Jade struggled with the slippers to the gown her father had bought for her.  "I can't…Atune!  I can't get these retched slippers on!"  She tipped forward and almost landed on her face.

Atune opened the door and smiled at her.  "You need to lace them up from the back, silly, not the front."  She knelt down in her own flowing dress with poise.  Jade scrunched her nose in envy.

"Well, you didn't tell me that."

Atune smiled.  "Your parents are waiting for you down in the banquet hall, Jade.  You really have taken too much time in dressing.  One would think you a lady."

That got a snort, and Atune looked up at her from her stooped position in distaste.  "I took so long because I couldn't get my arms into the dress, you could have told me that it folded over, too."

This time Atune outright laughed.  "I enjoyed your frustrated grunting from the other side of the door way too much, thank you."

Another scrunch of the nose was the only response Jade would dignify.  "Why do I have to go anyways, there's lots of girls for the princess to play with.  Noble girls!"

"Because, over the last few weeks, the princess has taken a liking to you, Jade.  She's not quite so frightened by you.  Possibly because you are half Cartheki yourself."

"Well, if we're going to play, why do I have to get all dressed up?"

"Because you are going to a banquet.  And you won't be playing, Jade.  You will be the princess' playmate for the evening."
            "But I'm not even a noble, Atune!"  The whine was halfway stalled by Atune's warning glare.

"It doesn't matter, Jade.  Someone needs to keep the young princess entertained while her mother and the other ambassadors do their diplomatic duties."

"So why doesn't she stay with her nanny, like I do with you?" Atune glared up at the girl with hard eyes.  "I mean…tutor…tutor…her tutor."  A small smile and a quick laugh before Jade pulled her foot away turned towards the mirror.  "It had to be pink."

Atune stood gracefully and took Jade's hand.  "Pink is a very becoming color, Jade."

She trudged along, dragging her feet.  "Today would be a good time for me to tell Papa I hate pink."

Atune sighed.  "It would look better if you stopped frowning so much.  You ruin the dress that way."

"Humph."

*****

"There are no trees?"

"Well…yes."  The young princess conceded.  "But only a little.  There's no big trees like here."

"Oh."  Jade picked up her spoon and scooped up a good amount of soup from her bowl.  All the time trying not to spill on her dress.  The result was a bit awkward.  She looked up at the sudden shrieking laughter of the princess.  "What's so funny?"

The little girl pointed.  "You eat like a pig!"  Jade frowned in annoyance.

"I just don't want to ruin my dress, is all."  She placed the spoon back down, slumped in her chair and crossed her arms in a pout.  Jade looked around herself and wondered at her bad luck.  Next to her was the princess Miliani, who sat next to her own mother, the Empress.  Across from them was the King and Queen of Tortall.  And all around them were priest and ambassadors and knights and ladies and all sorts of other people that made it impossible for Jade to misbehave.  This royally sucked.

She peaked over her should and saw various guards standing around the tables. Some were the King's own guards dressed in royal blues.  She recognized most their faces.  She looked at the handful of Cartheki guards with curiosity.  One was standing almost directly behind the Empress.  He was older.  Older than Papa she guessed with dark black wiry hair and black eyes. He was possibly the darkest man Jade had ever seen.  His skin was almost coal black making the white of his eyes seem to glow.  His beard was as wiry as his hair and he looked so incredibly serious, Jade was afraid to blink for a moment.  Behind the princess was a younger guard.  He was paler than his companion, but his mouth almost turned into a sneering grin every so often and Jade wondered if he found the conversations at the table as boring as her.  There were a few others, a dark skinned man with scars down his nose caught her eye.  She noticed another guard enter the room quietly, making his way over to the oldest of the guards, the darkest.  The guard who entered walked with confidence and purpose, and she couldn't help but notice he didn't look like the others.  He was Cartheki, of course.  His black eyes and tanned skin told so.  But he was much lighter than the others.  He was possibly as light as Papa.  And he was younger than the others.  Maybe 16 or 17.  His hair wasn't wiry, but soft and almost a shaggy brown, lighter than her own hair.  He whispered into the older guard's ear.  The dark man nodded and whispered something back.  Soon the youthful guard was back on his way out.  Jade looked towards the windows behind the guards, noticing the snow coming down in a thick layers.

*****

"I think I like it better when Atune explains it to me."  Jade huffed.

"Well…" Daine said with a raised eyebrow.  "It's her day off, so you're stuck with me.  Now, you need to get this long division down."

Numair entered the suite with a book open to a page about mixed gifts.  He looked up and he felt his breath catch and his heart speed up, his vision becoming blurry yet so clear.

There she was again.  This time, she was sitting with an older woman.  Daine.  Slightly older but still just as beautiful Daine.  They were working on Jade's studies.  Daine was explaining a math problem to the young girl.  Jade looked up to see him and smiled beautifully at him.  Such a familiar smile; euphoric in the dim candlelight of the evening.  Vanilla wafted into his senses.  Noticing Jade's attention waver, Jade casually put her hand on her daughter's head and gently turned her face back down to the work.  Jade sighed and continued on.  Daine looked up at him with slight annoyance and then gave way to one of her beautiful smiles.  He realized then…and he wasn't sure why, that Jade was the only thing in his life more important to him than Daine.  That seemed important somehow.

He blinked out of his revelry and swallowed as his heart began to slow.  "Numair."  He looked up.  Daine was looking at him.  "You all right?"  He nodded, cleared his throat and resolved to show her how 'all right' he was that night.

*****

A loud boom rang through the halls and echoed throughout the west side of the palace.  Daine was startled awake, her head jumping up from Numair's shoulder.  Numair himself bolted into a sitting position, his strong chest and shoulders shook with surprise.  The blankets fell away down to his waist as he lifted himself to the edge of the bed.  Daine sat up, the sheets falling from her own bare form.  She shivered from the draft on her body, the blankets and Numair's warm body along with their heated activities from earlier had been enough to keep her warm.  Now she felt the cold clearly.  She looked up at him in startled gaze.

When another boom echoed through the walls, Daine bolted up, reached for her blue cloth robe, quickly wrapped it around her body and tide the belt.  Numair quickly pulled a pair of breeches up his legs as he lopped over to their window.  He gapped in surprised horror at what he saw down in the court yards.  Men were storming the castle.  Not nearly enough he couldn't help but think, but enough to cause considerable damage.  Numair couldn't help but wonder what in the God's name was happening, but he didn't stop to ask.  "There are men storming the castle!"

"What?" Daine cried as she reached him to look over his shoulder.  "Oh Gods!" she whispered.  They both jerked around when they heard a loud crash rip through the halls.  Her hand flew to her mouth.  "Jade!"  Daine ran to their door, ripping it open and running into their common room.  She turned to Jade's door to see Atune come tearing out of her own room in a pink satin robe.  Atune's long blonde hair swung around her shoulders, her blue wide set eyes open so wide in fright they seemed to take over her face.  Another loud crash followed by a shrieked, "MAMA!"

*****

Next Chapter:  ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE………..and guess what……you will all HHHHAAAATTTTEEEE me!

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